Dick Faurot's Weather Blog: Hot, Humid For A Few More Days

However you want to define summer (i.e. the months of Jun-Aug or by the calendar dates) we will certainly have some very summer-like weather for much of this week with above normal temperatures at night as well as during the day.

Notice the max/min temperature map for today, courtesy of the OK Mesonet, as an example of what the next few days should be like. If anything, each of the next few days will be at least as hot if not a degree or two warmer. The max Heat Index map for today is also shown and is also courtesy of the OK Mesonet. Those numbers will be similar for the next few days if not another couple of degrees higher.

Dew point temperatures will remain in the lower 70s, so that makes the combination of heat and humidity certainly uncomfortable as the minimum relative humidity during the heat of the day will be no less than about 50%. In other words, take it easy with the outdoor activities and drink lots of fluids. At least we will keep a rather brisk SW wind which will provide some good ventilation during the daytime hours.

However, by later in the week the pattern aloft will be making some rather dramatic changes which will have quite an influence on our weather. Weak ridging aloft that is keeping us mostly sunny, hot and humid for the next few days will be replaced by a much more amplified pattern in time for the weekend. The upper-level ridge will build back west along the West Coast of the U.S., placing the Central Plains in a more pronounced NW flow pattern which will allow a series of cool fronts to move through. The first one looks to be arriving along about Friday night or early Saturday and will bring with it a chance of showers and storms. That will be followed by northerly winds for much of the day Saturday and a drop off in temperatures.

As you can see on our forecast page, mid-90s during the day and mid-70s at night will be the general rule until that front arrives. Am a little reluctant to say cooler conditions will follow, but it certainly will not be as hot for the coming weekend. Also, our best chance of showers/storms looks to be with the front itself and as you can see on the 7-day QPF map, it does not look like a big time rainmaker, so unless something changes, this system should not exacerbate the ongoing high water issues at many of the area lakes and streams.

But, as you can see on the 6-10-day outlook maps, this pattern change should persist at least into the first part of July, which would likely mean some additional frontal boundaries moving through the area keeping temperatures below normal. Along with those boundaries comes an enhanced chance of showers/storms so a more active pattern looks more likely during that time frame as well.

So, stay tuned and check back for updates.

Dick Faurot